1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) of a side emission type that illuminates a thin display body such as a liquid crystal panel from its side.
2. Description of Related Art
As a backlight source to illuminate a display panel such as a liquid crystal display from its side, an LED of a side emission type such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Disclosure No. 2002-368281 has been known. This LED 1, as shown in FIG. 12, comprises a chip substrate 2 formed with a die bond pattern 7 and electrode terminals 3, an LED chip 4 mounted on the die bond pattern 7, and a light transmitting resin body 5 that seals the LED chip 4. An LED 11 shown in FIG. 13 is made by having an LED 1 of the above construction fitted with a reflective frame 6 at its sides except for a light emitting face 5a. The reflective frame 6 collects light emitted from the LED chip 4 toward a light emitting face 5a to concentratedly illuminate a side of a thin liquid crystal panel.
However, because of its construction of FIG. 12, in which the LED chip 4 is mounted on the die bond pattern 7 provided on the side of the chip substrate 2 and is enclosed by and sealed with the light transmitting resin body 5, the LED 1, though it can be reduced in thickness, has the light from the LED chip 4 scattered and therefore is not suited as a back-light source to efficiently illuminate a surface of small width, such as a side face of a liquid crystal panel.
In the LED 11 such as shown in FIG. 13, on the other hand, since the reflective frame 6 is provided around the light transmitting resin body 5 except for the light emitting face 5a, the light emitted from the LED chip 4 does not expand but is focused toward the light emitting face 5a so that a bright light can be emitted to the outside. However, since the reflective frame 6 enclosing the light transmitting resin body 5 has a predetermined thickness, there are cases where it cannot be mounted in a mobile phone on which there are growing demands for smaller thickness.